19 September 2024

In this Issue:

• Headlines
• NMPF Urges Dairy Supporters to Comment on Dietary Guidelines
• Climate, Cows, and Calories: How Dairy Farms Can Be Part of an Environmental Solution
• Vet Med Loan Repayment Applications Close Sept. 30
• SDBII Grant Window Closes Sept 25
• Dairy Smart Roadmapping Grant Still Open
• Upcoming Events

Headlines

articles and press releases of interest this week

• FDA Lacks Timeline for Plant-Based Milk Labeling Guidance
• The Scientific Reason Milk and Cookies are Such a Good Pairing
• Trump and Harris Vie for Farm Voters
• DairyVoice Podcast: Geri Berdak Talks about The Dairy Alliance and How They Help the Industry
• Dairy Margins Are Steadily Improving
• AFBF Presidential Survey features Responses from Harris and Trump Camps
• Appeals Courty Judge Calls Livestock Runoff Case Against EPA “Awkward”
• New Hope for a Farm Bill?

Advocacy Alert: Support Dairy and Science in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

USDA and HHS are currently requesting public comments as part of their update to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These comments will be directed to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee as it finalizes its report. The report will outline the Committee’s recommendations to USDA and HHS as the departments prepare to write the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  

The guidelines are important because they affect government policies in numerous ways; for example, they guide which types of milk can be served in school meal programs and set parameters for how nutrition programs are implemented and developed. The dietary guidelines will not be updated again until 2030, so the guidelines issued in 2025 will affect Americans for the next five years.

Now is the time to make your voice heard. If you want the government to know your opinion and dairy’s important role in a healthy diet, click below to use our call-to-action tool to submit your comments to USDA and HHS. Please forward this message to others who you think may want to weigh in! 

Make Your Voice Heard and Stand Up for Dairy HERE

Virtual Farm Tour with Hillcrest Farms and The Dairy Alliance

Please save the date for an upcoming LIVE virtual farm tour hosted at Hillcrest Farms in Dearing Georgia on Thursday September 26th at 12pm ET in celebration of Climate Week! To help other small dairies achieve the same level of efficiency, Hillcrest Farms worked with researchers to quantify their farm’s greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint and identify practices to further reduce GHG emissions. Research conclusions tell an impressive story of a farm that can be sustained long into the future, and it is a blueprint for other farms around the region and the country. Join The Dairy Alliance and Mark Rodgers of Hillcrest Farms for this interactive opportunity to see firsthand how dairy farms can be part of an environmental solution. 

Click Here to register! 

Reminders: Upcoming Events & Deadlines

Southern Dairy Business Innovation Initiative

Southern Dairy Business Innovation Initiative is now taking requests for funding for two dairy producer grants: the Specialty Processing Equipment Grant and the Dairy Business Planning Grant. Dairy producers can apply for either grant before September 25, 2024. If you have any technical questions about the grant you can contact Bryce Trotter at GMP (bryce@gamilk.org) or Dr. Jillian Bohlen with UGA (jfain@uga.edu). 

Additional Resources

• SDBII Informational Webinar
• Specialty Processing Equipment Grant RFP
• Dairy Business Planning Grant RFP



GMP-TDA Fall District Meetings

GA Dairy farmers and their families are invited to attend their local Fall District Meeting hosted by Georgia Milk Producers and The Dairy Alliance. Join us for dinner or lunch as we provide updates from our two groups, vote on district officers, and enjoy time together as an industry. RSVP to Bryce Trotter at bryce@gamilk.org.

• September 23 at 7:00 PM - Burke County Ext Office - Waynesboro, GA
• September 24 at 12:00 PM - Hillcrest Farms - Dearing, GA
• September 30 at 7:00 PM - Doodlum's BBQ - Woodbury, GA

Georgia Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program

The Georgia Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program (GVELRP) provides financial relief, by way of student loan repayment, for veterinarians willing to provide veterinary services for food animals in shortage areas around the state. This program is administered by the State Veterinary Education Board with assistance from the Georgia Student Finance Authority (GSFA). The Board also receives administrative support from the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

The application period for 2025 will be open from Aug 1, 2024, through Sept 30, 2024. For complete details visit the GVELRP webpage.

Sign Up for Georgia Climate Smart Dairy Project

The Dairy Alliance, Georgia Milk Producers, and Newtrient are partnering together on a project to create a climate smart dairy production roadmap for producers in the state. Made possible by a technical assistance grant through Georgia NRCS, this project will provide participating farms with their own environmental sustainability assessment and plan while NRCS will receive a comprehensive review of dairy sustainability projects that can benefit the GA dairy industry and qualify for USDA programs. Got questions? Email Mekenzie Panhans or Bryce Trotter and sign up by clicking the poster below.

GMP Classifieds

7 Valve Federal Filler for Sale in Hall County (GA) - $30,000

Used mechanical filler for sale. Good Condition. Great for Start-Up Processing Plant. Email gcdairy@gmail.com for more details, photos, and vidoes.

Dairy Farm for Sale in Screven County (GA) -

Green Meadows Dairy for sale. 986 acres (600 irrigated), 60-stall rotary parlor, 1,000 cow feed pad, 8 pivots,

Call Leo Ruijne for more details 806-292-9909 or email leo@unitedagllc.com

Want to showcase your business to dairy producers and industry professionals across the Southeast and US? Email info@gamilk.org to learn more about how you can advertise in the GMP E-News

Until Next Time,

Bryce Trotter